Thill-coupling.



No. 684,308. Patented Oct. 8, IBM.

J. c. REGAN.

THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed Feb. 9; i901. (N 0 I o d a1.)

H n (A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. REGAN, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO MARY A.

REGAN, OF SAME PLACE.

THILL-COUPLING'.

:SPEGIFIOA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,308, datedOctober 8, 1901.

Application filed February 9, 1901. Serial No. 46,655. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. REGAN, of Southington, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Thill-Coupling;and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of a coupling constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a sectionalView on line Ct b, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a similar section showing an insideview of the hook of another form; Figs. 5 and 6, top or plan views ofthe rear ends of thill members adapted to be used in connection with mycoupling; Fig. 7, a side view illustrating my invention as applied tothe thills.

This invention relates to an improvement in thill-couplings, andparticularly to that class in which the thills are coupled to the axlewithout bolts and which may be readily opened by disengaging a lever,the object of the invention being a simple construction in which theparts or members of the coupling may be readily engaged or disengaged,but which are not liable to accidental displacement; and the inventionconsists in the construction as will be hereinafterdescribed, andparticularly recited in the claims.

The coupling consists of a bar A, preferably formed in its upper facewith a transverse recess B to permit the axle C to set into it, the barbeing secured to the lower face of the axle by clips D in the usualmanner. The forward end of the bar is formed with a hook E, and in rearof the hook a locking-lever F is pivoted to the bar and formed with anose G, which closes the hook E and forms an eye to receive a bar or pinH, formed at the rear end of the thill member. Preferably the nose Gwill have a lip I, adapted to enter a corresponding recess 1, formed inthe hook E, so as to form a substantially dust-proof joint. The lever Fextends rearward beneath the axle and terminates in a downwardly-turnedbend J, which is adapted to be engaged by a loop K, pivoted to acam-lever L, which lever is pivoted to the rear end of the bar A andformed with a hooked finger-piece L. The point of connection between theloop K and the lever L is eccentric to the pivot of the said lever andso that when the loop K is engaged with the lever F and the cam-lever Lturned to its up position, as shown in Fig. 1, the nose of the leverFwill be forced into close engagement with the hook E. The end of thelever has sufficient spring to yield to permit the camlever to beturned,and this spring is exerted on the nose G, so as to always hold itin close connection with the hook, and thus form an antiratt-lingdevice. The inner faces of the hook E and nose Cr may be straighttransversely, as shown in Fig. 3, and so as to receive a straight pin,or they may be recessed, as shownin Fig. 4, to receive a bar having acircular hearing, as shown in Fig. 5, or the bearing on bar may be ovalin crosssection, as shown in Fig. 6.

To open the coupling to attach or detach the thill, the lever L isturned, which drops the loop K and permits the lever F to be disengagedtherefrom, as shown in broken line, Fig. 1, which movement of the leverF raises the nose G and opens the hook E. If by any possibility thelever L should be accidentally turned, the loop K would still be engagedwith the rear end of the lever F, so that it would be held in anintermediate position, as shown in Fig. 1, which while partially openingthe hook would not do so to sufiicient extent to permit the thills toescape, but would permit them to rattle and at once call attention tothe displacement.

It is evident that various forms of hooks adapted to receive variousforms of thill mem= here may be employed, and I therefore do not wish tobe understood as limiting the invention to the exact forms shown. It isalso evi dent that the bar and hook may be applied to the thills andengage with a pin carried by the axle. Thus in Fig. 7 I have shown suchan arrangement, in which the bar a is secured to the under side of athill b and formed with a hook e. A locking-lever f is pivoted to thebar and provided with nose g, adapted to close the hook. Secured to thebar is a loop k, and on the loop is a cam-lever Z. The loop is adaptedto pass over the free end of the locking-lever, and then if thecam-lever be turned it will draw the end of the lockinglever upward,which forces the nose into close engagement with the hook in the samemanner as before described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A thin-coupling, comprisingabar adapted to be secured to an axle, ahook at the for- Ward end thereof, a locking-lever pivoted to the barand having a nose to close said hook and a rearwardly-extending end, acam-lever, and a loop carried by said cam-lever.

2. Athili-coupling, comprising abar adapted to be secured to an axle, ahook at the forward end thereof, a locking-lever pivoted to the bar andhaving a nose to close said hook and a rearwardly-extending end, acam-lever pivoted to said bar and a loop carried by said cam-lever andadapted to engage with the end of said locking-lever.

3. Athiil-coupiing, comprising a bar trans- V versely recessed toreceive an axle to which the bar is secured, a hook at the forward endof said bar, a locking-lever pivoted to said bar and having a noseadapted to close said hook and a rearwardly-extending anddownwardly-bentend, a cam-lever pivotally mounted on said bar and a loopeccentrically secured to said cam-lever and adapted to engage the end ofthe locking-lever, substantially as described. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed this

